Vertebrates: Fruition of Encephalization

Vertebrates: Fruition
of Encephalization
The basic plan of the vertebrate nervous
system is a hollow, dorsal nerve
cord terminating anteriorly in a large
ganglionic mass, the brain. This pattern
contrasts with the nerve cord of bilateral
invertebrates, which is solid and
ventral to the alimentary canal. By far
the most important trend in the evolution
of vertebrate nervous systems is
the great elaboration of size, configuration,
and functional capacity of the
brain, a process called encephalization. Vertebrate encephalization has
brought to full fruition several functional
capabilities including fast responses,
great capacity for storage of
information, and enhanced complexity
and flexibility of behavior. Another
consequence of encephalization is the
ability to form associations between
past, present, and (at least in humans)
future events.